Father freed, son to serve 4 years in jail for killing bandit.

55-year-old Suraj Singh, and his son, who both pleaded guilty to manslaughter over the death of a 23-year-old man, were sentenced on Thursday by Justice Sandil Kissoon.

Suraj and his son, Andrew Singh, 30, both of Lot 248 Mon Repos Pasture, East Coast Demerara (ECD), unlawfully killed Brian Dwarka, a labourer, on May 17, 2018.  

Justice Kissoon said that a plea to the lesser count was accepted because provocation, defense of self and property, and self defense, arose from the evidence.

According to him, the evidence revealed that Dwarka, who while intoxicated, armed with a cutlass and in the company of others, had attacked and injured Suraj, and robbed him of a gold chain.

Andrew, who was nearby, went in defense of his father, stabbing Dwarka with a pair of scissors.

After considering this, as well as the objectives and aims of sentencing, Justice Kissoon ordered that the older Singh be released from prison forthwith on time served.

Andrew, who was initially sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, will only serve four years, after deductions were made for the time he has already spent in pre-trial custody.

Justice Kissson, in his sentencing remarks, stressed that Andrew should have reported the incident to the Police and not taken matters into his own hands.

The two Singhs were represented by Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Rahamat.

It was previously reported that the 23-year-old of Lot 128 Mon Repos South died after he was stabbed once in the chest. He was injured a short distance from his home.

According to reports, Suraj was at a barbecue and lime with friends when he was attacked by Dwarka and several other men.

The Police had said that Suraj had visited the Police station earlier and made a report that Dwarka had robbed and beaten him up.

However, at that time Police ranks were unaware that he was a suspect in the murder and issued a medical to him. 

He took the medical to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was then arrested. Andrew was arrested at his home.

Meanwhile, an autopsy performed on Dwarka’s remains showed that he died as a result of perforation of the lungs and the heart due to a stab wound he sustained.